The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

ouse o A midst the busy Leicester Square in central London with tourists and evening goers milling the area on Charing Cross Road in droves, the 24-hour Hippodrome Casino London was filled with casino and slot ma- chine players and people attending enter- taining shows such as Magic Mike Live. This must-visit hallmark has six floors of gaming, London’s largest dedicated poker floor, mul- ti-award-winning Heliot Steak House, a 326- seat theatre, eight bars and a new three-floor outdoor terrace. We were at the Hippodrome to attend House of Burlesque’s version of Pop Idol. The top burlesque production house, whose concept was dreamed up by Lola Labelle and directed by international showgirl Tempest Rose start- ed in 2009 at Islington’s Kings Head Theatre. They performed twice at The Theatre Royal in Windsor before catapulting to critical acclaim in 2010 with ‘Circus Burlesque’ after selling out the prestigious Assembly Rooms in Edin- burgh and winning Edinburgh Spotlight’s Pick of the Fringe Award. Their next production, ‘House of Burlesque - Shipwrecked’ toured the UK theatres from 2012 to 2013 after a successful run at the leg- endary Madame Jojo’s in Soho. They also had another show, ‘Burlesque Idol’, a newcomer competition, first launched at Madame Jojo’s in conjunction with their residencies ‘Banged Up’ and ‘The Love Show’. They’ve had over- whelming success with the weekly Saturday show ‘The House of Burlesque Speakeasy’, which regularly runs at the Sway Bar in Cov- ent Garden. The evening show started with resident host Delores Deluxe warming up the audience. She introduced the judges: Tempest Rose, one of the most sought-after burlesque performers in the industry; Bettsie Bon Bon, an internation- al burlesque star who has been in the business since 2005 and was voted Best British Bur- lesque Performer in 2016 by the Burlesque Bi- ble; and Gwendoline Lamour, one of the most accomplished and influential performers of classic burlesque performance, with 13 years’ experience. We were treated to performances by contest- H I Burlesque Idol bitenightlife